Digestion10 min
Anardana and Roasted Jeera Churan, a Pinch After Meals
Dried pomegranate seeds, roasted cumin and a little black salt ground into a tangy digestive churan; a small pinch after a heavy meal. Salty, so go easy with high blood pressure.
A churan made at home, in a pinch
Anardana is dried pomegranate seed. Ground with roasted cumin and a little black salt, it makes a tangy churan that many homes keep in a jar for after heavy meals. It is a digestive habit and a flavour, not a treatment for acidity, ulcers or any stomach condition.
The amount is a pinch, not a spoon. The black salt adds up. Keep it small if you have high blood pressure or kidney problems, and skip it if it burns or upsets the stomach.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons dried anardana seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry roasted
- A small piece of black salt (a quarter teaspoon, ground)
How to prepare
- Dry roast the cumin until it smells nutty, then let it cool.
- Grind it with anardana and black salt to a coarse powder and store it in a dry jar.
How to use
- Take one pinch on the tongue, or stir it into a little warm water, after a heavy meal.
- Once or twice a day at most.
- Stop if it causes burning or mouth sores.
Helpful habits
- Keep the jar dry. Damp makes the powder lump and spoil.
- Make a small batch that you will use up in two weeks.
Precautions
- Salty, so go very light with high blood pressure, kidney disease or a salt-restricted diet.
- Skip it if you have gastritis or ulcers and it burns.
- A pinch is the dose. More is not better.
Frequently asked questions
Will it cure acidity?
- No. It is a tangy after-meal flavour. Frequent acidity needs a doctor, not a bigger pinch.
Can children have it?
- A tiny pinch for older children is fine. Keep it away from toddlers.
Can I use it daily?
- A pinch after a heavy meal now and then is enough. Daily use adds salt.
